Labour minister tried to avoid 'trash' of West End nightclubs

A leading Labour frontbencher asked an elite online club how to avoid the "trash and C-list wannabes" of London's West End, it has emerged.

Chuka Umunna, who is widely seen as a future contender for the Labour leadership, was revealed by the Daily Mail to be a member of ASmallWorld – described as MySpace for millionaires – under his middle name, Harrison.

In 2006, before he was a parliamentary candidate for Labour, the now-shadow business secretary went onto the site to ask: "Is it just me or is there a serious lack of cool places to go in central London at the weekends.

"Most of the West End haunts seem to be full of trash and C-list wannabes, while other places that should know better opt for the cheesy vibe."

The comments are markedly at odds with the centre-left image Umunna has cultivated since running for parliament.

Two years later he went on the site to ask for advice on where to visit in Miami and listed the clubs he had gone to during his last trip to the city.

That list included Mynt Lounge, a nightclub which boasts the "tightest door policy and the most fabulous crowd".

"Mynt is for the famous and fabulous," its owner, Romain Zago, has said.

The Streatham MP also attended a private party for ASmallWorld members at the British Luxury Club in London, which features a bar made of Swarovski crystals.

Umunna's office has apologised for any offence caused by the online comments and reiterated they were made long before he became an MP.